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Penny Mellor sent “a relentless barrage” of tweets and emails claiming Shy Keenan had made up parts of her best-selling autobiographical misery memoir, Broken.

She described Essex-based Ms Keenan’s 2008 book as “titillation for paedophiles” and alleged the author was fraudulently making money out of it.

Mellor wanted it withdrawn from sale, claiming it was obscenely graphic, and admitted she became incensed and frustrated when her messages were ignored.

Passing sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge David Turner QC told Mellor she had “crossed the line” between free speech, robust disagreement and exposure of untruth and descended into criminal harassment.

He said : “You have a fearlessness and a determination which properly channelled have served some controversial causes well. But you have, not for the first time allowed your passion, your self-belief, to overshadow your judgment and personal restraint.”

The judge said Mellor was not Ms Keenan’s only internet stalker but Mellor’s actions and personal revelations had added to her victim’s genuine anxiety and insecurity.

He referred to the “war of words” and said some of Mellor’s tweets, emails and blogs had been “downright nasty and personal”.

“You are both campaigners. You had taken a particular view of Ms Keenan, her work, her integrity, her journalism, her influence and principally her autobiographical book Broken which incensed and frustrated you.”

Mellor, he said, sent “a fairly relentless barrage of tweets and emails” directed at Ms Keenan or posted them so she would see or learn about them.